Cork Basketball: Neptune and Ballincollig need to grab Super League victories
Neptune's Kelvin O'Donoghue tries to get around Demons' Shariff Black at the Mardyke Arena. Picture: David Creedon
Super League basketball fans will be spoiled this weekend with all three Cork teams at home for their respective fixtures.
The top game could possibly be at the renovated state-of-the-art Neptune Stadium tomorrow when Energywise Ireland Neptune host championship favourities Belfast Star (6.30pm).
Neptune are on the back of an opening game defeat to UCC Demons will take heart from this loss as they showed a lot of positives against the reigning champions.
It must be emphasised that the standard of refereeing in this game was really poor.
The Neptune American duo of Cameron Glover (33) and Zyon Dobbs (25) chipped in with 58 points and they will need a repeat against this crack Star outfit.
Cian Heaphy looked energetic coming off an injury and new signing Eoin Nelson will be hoping the match officials will be kinder to him than they were in the Demons defeat.
Eli Lenihan making his debut after four years of college basketball in America looks a player with a future, but sadly Catalonian Nil Sabata who was playing superbly had to go off injured with a shoulder injury and is rated doubtful.
The northerners got their campaign off to a good start with a resounding 107 to 71 win over Sligo All Stars and with Adrian Fulton returning as coach they look a better-balanced side.
Americans Shane Bell (38) and Roger Wilson (25) are a formidable pairing and new signing from Tralee Warriors Rap Buivydas gives them physical presence on the boards.
Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig are also in action tomorrow when they host St Vincent’s at the MTU Arena (4pm).
Ballincollig player-coach Ciaran O’Sullivan will be disappointed that his team failed to win at Limerick Celtics last weekend, losing by the minimum 88-87.
The Ballincollig professionals Latrell Jossell (23), Latavious Mitchell (12) and Josh Steel (12) had reasonable debuts but despite taking a six-point lead into the final quarter, they were eventually hauled back by the Shannonsiders.
On the positive side, word from the capital suggests Vincent’s are the weakest of the Dublin sides competing at the top tier and Ballincollig on home terrain should be good enough to take maximum points.
In Vincent’s opening game, they lost heavily to Killester 95-71. If Ballincollig give them the required respect, they should get the all-important win.
UCC Demons coach Danny O’Mahony wasn’t a happy camper despite his side opening with a 115-105 home win against great rivals Energywise Ireland Neptune.
The well-documented stop-start game wasn’t easy on the eye and on Sunday they will need to sharpen up when a talented Flexachem Killorglin side are in town.
Cork-born Irish international Jordan Blount is presently playing superb basketball and for Demons to win they will need to shut him down.
Demons Americans Shariff Black (25) and Zach Hinton (10) had reasonable debuts but in the case of the latter, he was at the end of some questionable fouls that saw him fouled out in the third quarter.
Demons will be hoping the Hannigan twins James and Scott give them the required energy and with Daryl Cuff looking a player for the future, the Cork side will do well to secure the vital win.
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